Subject: Re: [permaculture] What are your priceless permaculture tools?
Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2011 17:05:48 -0400
Here's my list.
*Hori-Hori. I use that thing all the time. Transplanting, digging holes,
digging roots, digging trees, cutting twine, cutting cardboard, it does it
all.
*Scythe. I can't imagine what I'd do without this thing. It's not like I'm
going out and scything acres of wheat, but I use this to mow down plants
around trees and clear under my electric fence. I also keep the paths around
the field somewhat clear with this. It's awesome, and sometimes I wish I had
more things to scythe just so I could go at it for a couple of hours.
*Spade. Long-handled. Have to say I wish I had a sturdier long-handled spade.
I just have the generic ones they carry at the big box store. Works fine, but
I know I'm going to break it one of these days.
*Azada. Think that's what it's called. It's this 6" wide, long handled hoe.
Great for big swings and pulling out lots of dirt. Also useful for stripping
sod (though I use an 8" grape hoe for this normally). Well worth the $30. I
dug out all my garden beds with this last year, and dug out my hugel-beds
this spring.I don't see how one could dig swales without one, really.
(http://www.easydigging.com/Garden_Tool/Grub_Hoe_Grubbing.html)
I also use a hand sickle from time to time, but I find myself not really
liking its action. I'd like to check out one of the Japanese hand-sickles, I
think sometimes called a kama, but I haven't found a source for these yet.
Other tools I've recently acquired which I'm excited to try out include a kbc
planting bar for mass-plantings and then a swedish brush axe which I'll
anticipate using for cutting branches off white pines & bamboo.
Evan
On Sep 7, 2011, at 3:36 PM, Javan Kerby Bernakevitch wrote: